Be it known that l, JOHN G. JANsrzrAN, en Armenien, and o. subject of the Suiten of Turkey, having declared my intenn tions of becoming e citizen of the United Stetes of America., residing et Springfield, county o1? lflempden, end Commonwealth of lvsssechusetts, have invented certain new end useful improvements in JAttachments for Shoes, ot which the following is the specification.

This invention reletes to improvements in attachments for shoes for the purpose of providingI en adjustable device which receives the luces, or other equivalent closing devices of the upper port of the shoe.

Broedly it comprises strips of eny suitable materiel that ere edjustebly secured to the opposite sides of the throat or opening of the shoe and ineens for securing these pieces sitter adjustment to the uppers or permanent pert of the shoe.

Heretofore, thev usuel method or'n closing e laced shoe is by drawing the luces through openings, or eyelets, in the adjacent edges of the uppers, or .in the employment of both hoolrs end eyelets, whereby the uppers muy be drawn together by the lacing strings.

lin the present invention the edjecent edges oi" the uppers ere provided with these ediustsble and .removable pieces in which are located the eyelets or hooks and ineens ior securing` the seme in place.

Referring to the drawings:

1 is e side elevational view of the usuel shoe construction showing one of the adjustable pieces.

llig. 2 is e detail view ot' one of the pieces seperated from the shoe.

3 is e top plan view illustrating the arrangement of the pieces et the upper ends end relative to the opening.

Fig. d is e frontelevetionsl view showing the two pieces and the employment of lacing strings.

Fig. 5 is e detail plan View of the construction for adjustably securing the strips end showing the manner of moving 4the strips.

Fig. 6 is e view similar to Fig. 5 and showingf the locking Ineens in its unlocking position.

Fig. is e detail sectional view on the line lig. 8 is e longitudinel sectional view' on turned into the Serial No. 595,641.

the seme line es Fig. 7 but showing the locking device in its lo king position, and

Fig. 9 is e detached view of e niodiiicstion off the lacing in which the strings ere ornitted end what is known es the hoolless fastener employed.

Referring to the drawings in detail:

l designates, es :i whole, the uppers of the ordinary shoe construction, having the usuel throat or entrance opening 2. 3 end l ere strips of leather or any other suitable materiel, that is adjustebly secured to the uppers und on the adjacent edges of the opening; 2. rllhese strips ere formed with the usuel eyelets 5 through which the lece strings 6 poss. 7 designates elongated openings in eech of the strips. inserted in each of these openings is the elliptical shaped piece of metol 8, detail of which is shown in G, one margin of the opening of the metal is formed with a. rack 9. 10 desig- .notes o. part that is secured to the uppers. lt comprises o. cylindrical or borrel shaped member formed with gear teeth 11 for en'- geging the teeth of the rock 9, which is secured to the strips 3 and 11. The portion on which the teeth 11 are located vhas e threaded or en v other suitable connection 12 with the purt- 10 end an extension 13 to which the thumb orzlocking port 14- is pivoted. Bv turning the port 14 the teeth are advanced alone the reclr 9 thereby movthe strips 3 end 4:' either inward or outward es showil by the arrows 11 with reletion to the opening 2fot the shoe. When the strips 3 4- are properly adjusted to suit the wearer the thumb pieces 14 are position shown in Figs. 5 end 7 bringing the curved lower edge 14 into clamping engagement with the upper surface ot' the metel piece 8, whereby the strips are locked or secured in place on the uppers'l. ln Fig. 9 is shown e modification in which the lacing strings 6 are omitted and the strips 3 end et are secured together by ineens of the slide designated as e whole by the numeral 15, known in the market es the hookless fastener described in patent f-.rented to Jacob R. Phillips; No. 1,219,482; dated Merch 2O.y 1917, in which the part 15 simultaneously draws the strips 3 and 4 together end closes the throat opening 2 and locks or releases the fastening devices 16 when the slide is operated b` the rino; 1'?.

lt is to he understood that .li/doi not .li-mit myself to any particular term of securing means between the strips 3 and i yor any particular torni of adjustable and locking device Jfor retaining the strips in place o n the up pers. .the broad idea is the application oit strips adjnstably secured to the uppers ot high top shoes and boots and with any suitable means for adjustably retaining the saine in place.

The curved lower edges il! Will frictionally retain the strips 3 and 41 in place atter being once adjusted.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the exact position that the strips 3 are located on the shoe, as they may be placed at the side, or along the top ot the uppers.

They may be applied to low as Well as high shoes.

rlhe manner in which the thumb or locie ing partle secures the strips 3 and a in their adjusted positions is as tolloivs:

When the operator or user, turns the part 14 the gear teeth ll on the barrel part l0 will engage the teeth ot the rack 9 which is attached'to the strip to be adjusted into the, required position, then, holding the strip and turning down the thumb part 1li the threaded connection l2 between the parts 10 and il will be tightened. causing the curved lower surface 14 to trictionally engage the upper surface ot the p t 8 as shovvn in Figs. 5 and 7. As shoivn in Fig. 8 the thumb part la is turned parallel with the opening` of the raclr 8 to permit this part to pass therethrough when the parts are assembled. Vilhe thumb part 11i is pivotally attached to the gear part 11 by means oi' the stern or extension 13.

What I claim is:

1. An attachment Jfor shoes for the purpose described comprising strips Jformed with openings therein and located on the opposite sides ot the throat edges ot the uppers of the-shoe; means in the openings 'tor adjustahly securing' the strips on the uppers, and laterally ot the throat openings, said strips being provided with eyelets tor 2. An pose des cent the ing 'l la ingstrin, o adjustable sing elongated openings in ri trips, r is in the openings tor moving the strips relative to the uppers, de i ttached to the uppers engaging' s rips tor securing the strips in their ted positions as described. Y

3. in attachment tor shoes comprising a strip secured to the uppers and located on and ad]` acont to the entrance or throat opening ot the saine, means for adjustably securing the strip to the upper, said means including raclr and pinion for moving the strip relative to the uppers and means tor retaining the strip in its adjustment, as described. Y

Li. An attachment tor' shoes comprising in combination ivi-th the uppers, strips adjust ably secured to the uppers and on the opposite sides ot the throat opening, a clamping device Ytor releasably securingw the same in their adjusted positions, said device permitting,- a lateral movement of the strips relative to the edge ci the throat opening, said strips having` means therein for receiving the lacing or other securing devices tor drawing the edges et the throat opening together.

5. An attachment Jfor shoes comprising a strip secured. to the uppers and located adjacent to the entrance or throat opening ot the same, means for adiustably securing the strip to the upper, said means including a rack and pinion ttor moving the strip relative to the uppers and means for retaining the strip in its adiustinent, including a pivoted thumb piece hich is connected to the pinion, as described.